New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-22
rATrEp.nAY SLAYERY.

1t is pleasant 10 De aolc w rcooi" SUM- S'Or'
toward the amclioration of the convict lease
system in the South. But every effort OF TINS
kind seems only to result in disclosures morc
shocking than before, and to show what
vast deal remains at best to be done. -
Mississippi. for example, was one OF inc
States selected by Mr.. Cable to show the lease
system at its worst. There the practice OF
sub-lcasing prevailed. The State not oniy
abandoned the convict to the mcrccs OF the
lessee. but the lessee abandoned HIM TO inc
mercies. likely to be even less tender, OF SUD-
lessees. The evil tended to work us own
cIfre. The convicts were scattered over lhc
State. and there were so many witnesses 10
tbe inhuman treatment they received that
nublic sentiment grew up for a reform. Inc
nonular demand seemed to be for an abolition
Of the leasing system, but the Legislature
adonted year ago compromise code, which
forbade the leasing of prisoners on plantations.
limited them to public works and provided Tor
y,,te insnection. The demand that all leas-
ing be abolished was diminished, so says
corres nondcnt Of "The St. Louis Globc-Dcm-
ocrat.u nv proposition to take the convicts,
which was made by the Gulf and ship Island
Company. This company was to Dulid hor'h
and south railway, about midway between
the Mobile and Ohio and the line Of the Him
els Central. The project was popular and inc
privilege Of sub leasing one-half the force was,
after all granted to the company. The re-
suits were what might have been expected,
even under a system of State supervision,
which has existed during the past year for tho
first time. At one sub-lessee's camp, one
fourth of about 200 cOnvicts were dead or
disabled within few weeks. The Grand
Jury at Jackson visited the pentcntlary hos
pital to which the victims Of this camp were
taken, and here is their own statement to tho
court of what they found within the very
shadow Of the State Capitol
We found twenty-six inmates, all Of whom have
lately been brought there of tho farms and railroads.
many OF them with consumption and other incurable
diseases and all bearing on thef persons MARKS Oh tho
most lnhuman and brutal treatment Most OF them
had their bacs cut great wales, scars aud bsters
some with the skin peelng of in Pieces a. the rert
OF severe bcatings. Their fcct anil hands In some
instances show 4gns OF frostbite, and all Of them
with tho stamp o manhood almost bl0ttcd ont OF 'h'r
faces which show that they have been treated hoio
cruelty and brutay than nation VI saVases ought ~
hermit inflicted upon it, convlcts They are lying
there dying, Of them bare boards 80 poor anu
cmaciatcd that their bones almost come through Their
skim many complaining for tho want OF io"o We
believe they are fed improperly Sick pcoiio ought 10
have leht diet, and these poor creatures get ther
beef water and meal for soup, "a We are informed WIN
coarse meat aud cabbage such Diet as they cannot eat
one poor fellow burst out crying and said ne was 'e
ay starving to death. We actually saw live Nermn
crawling over their faces and tho httie bedHhs anu
clothing they have Ia In tatters ana sun win m'n'
We heard from these poor creatures details OF he hor
rible treatment they had been subjected 10 by brutal
guards and contractors, which, II the people OF Nils
lca-lng system. We they are TOO horrible 10
print God viii smile upon state wheh t"a'S
IL, convict. a. Mississippi does.
One such showing as this ought to be enough
to cut off the whole leasing system, root and
branch.
in Alabama new prison code goes into
effect next month which, it is believed, Will
mitigate somewhat the hardships Of the con-
victs. These, it is claimed, are much less now
than in former years. IL is pleasant to be
able to record that so far as this rs true II Is
largely due TO the efforts OF the Christian
women Of that State, acting under the leader
ship Of Miss Julia 5. Tutwiicr. principal OF
one of the Alabama Normal Schools. Through
their excrtions the first schools Tor convicts
are now being opened. under law which
requires the State 10 furnish a teacher to
every camp Of 100 convicts. Another reform
they accomplished was the heating OF tho
county jails. stove or fire OF any kind
is said TO have been unknown before that
time, with the inevitable results in sickness
and death. In counties which have not taken
advantage Of the law permitting them TO turn
their convicts over to the State, the abuses
OF the chain-gang system, which is practically
without supervision, are said to be much
greater than those Of the State system. Per
haps the spirit of the authorities is sufficiently
shown By the fact that in several counties the
Women's Christian Temperance Union is no
longer allowed to hold religious services for
the oonvicts on Sunday. 1t is singular, to say
the least, how many points Of likeness there
are between this system Of slavery and the
old one.